Nicholas Singleton Scouting Report
By: Michael Higgins
(Image courtesy of Paul Burdick/ForStateCollege.com)
School: Penn State
Class: Senior
Position: RB
HT: 6’0
WT: 224 lbs
Background: Nick Singleton was a 5-star running back in the class of 2022 out of Shillington, PA. Singleton was the top running back and top player in Pennsylvania in his class. Singleton played his high school ball for Governor Mifflin, where he won a District 5A title as a senior. Singleton was named the 2021 Gatorade National Player of the Year and was selected to play in the 2022 All-American Bowl. He is the Berks County record holder for rushing yards with 6,326 and touchdowns with 116. In addition to football, Nick competed in track & field in high school. Singleton chose to stay close to home and play for Penn State over Alabama, Texas A&M, Notre Dame, and others.
College: As a true freshman in 2022, Singleton led the Nittany Lions in rushing yards with 1,061. He was named the Big 10 Newcomer of the Year and a Freshman All-American. Additionally, he was an All-Big 10 selection. In 2023, he earned All-Big 10 Third Team honors after posting 752 rushing yards and 8 rushing touchdowns. 2024 was Nick’s masterpiece. He led the Big 10 in all-purpose yards with 1,805. He was an All-Big 10 honorable mention and chose to return for his senior season. The entire Penn State program fell apart in Singleton’s senior campaign. He was unable to find a groove the entire season. Despite some bright spots, like the Indiana game, Singleton’s poor season may worry some.
Strengths: Nick Singleton is a dense runner with a powerful frame. Every step generates more power leading into initial contact where he can mow over defenders. He gets low to have the leverage with that lower center of gravity than the defender. The frame that he possesses allows him to handle a heavier NFL workload. Despite sharing carries at Penn State, he projects as a player who can play all three downs. Singleton does not sacrifice movement skills for size and strength. He is extremely light on his feet and can make cuts on a dime. He has the burst to reach top speed quickly. Behind the line, he can identify rushing lanes, accelerate, and get skinny between the tackles. Singleton has tremendous upside as a pass catcher. He looks the ball in and turns up field quickly to gash defenses towards the boundary. In pass protection, Singleton’s strength translates to his firm anchor as he consistently absorbs power from linebackers and edge rushers.
Weaknesses: As a runner, Singleton struggles to identify lanes developing later in the sequence. He seems to set his sights on one gap and attack it no matter how it develops, which can lead to muddy waters. Singleton invites contact too frequently. He doesn’t avoid tacklers with any sense of urgency and instead relies on running through them. His inconsistency is also a huge question mark. He has gone back and forth between being the lead running back in the Penn State backfield. His lackluster senior season will leave a bad taste in the mouth of scouts due to his low total yards and YPC.
Conclusion: Nicholas Singleton has shown flashes of excellence with a perfect combination of size and speed. He has been inconsistent which leads to questions about his ability to produce year after year on an NFL schedule. He may not be relied upon as a true three down back his whole career, but he can take over games at any time.
Best Team Fits: KC, DAL, NYJ
Player Comparison: Jordan Mason
Player Grade: Round 3 (75.5)
